Libraries; Shared Library Resources

The need for new standards has arisen in Florida public libraries as a result of the library profession's shift from quantitative, input-based standards to qualitative, output-based standards to measure library performance and excellence. The standards in this document were developed after over 100 participants identified subjects to be addressed and developed recommendations and submitted them to the Standards Working Committee. The final standards are organized in the following broad categories: (1) governance, leadership and funding; (2) personnel; (3) access; (4) materials and collections; (5) services; (6) facilities; (7) cooperation and resource sharing; and (8) community relations. In each section there is an objective defined, addressing the purpose of the standards for the topic area. The standard appears in bold type, followed by a checklist that contains a number of indicators a library can use for self-assessment. Each section includes a list of critical resources. Four appendixes provide supplemental information about the working committee, recommended salaries, a glossary, and an annotated bibliography of 65 sources. (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made I